Metal coating apparatus



Jay. 28, "1947. H, DOBRIN 2,414,860

METAL COATING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1945 gfinvessas. 14. MM 44 RT'TORA/fiYJ,

Patented J 28, 1941 s PATENT OFF-ICE METAL COATING APPARATUS HarryDobrin, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Furnace Engineers, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application A pril 2, 1945, Ser 1 No. 586,253

1 a This invention relates to apparatus for melting metals for coatingpurposes, and more particularly to such apparatus in which the melting pan is surrounded by, a refractory wall or baiile to shield it from the direct heat of the burners by which the metal in the" pan is melted. Pan" isused herein to designate the receptacle in which the coating metal is melted, whether it be a pan for coating wire, a pot for sheets, or a kettle for pipe.

It has been customary practice to protect melting pans fromthe fire of the burners by constructing a refractory wall around the pan. Such walls have been made either by building wooden forms around the ,pan and pouring refractory cement into the forms which are burned away after the cement has set, or by laying up bricks like an ordinary wall. In both cases the walls have short lives, because they pull and break away from the pan. The furnace then has to be cooled and the baiilewall rebuilt. This is an expensive procedure, both in labor and material and in loss of production.

lit is among the objects of this invention to provide metal melting apparatus in which most of the baflie for the pan is formed from refractory height of the sides of the baflie and is shaped to hold itself upright against the side of the pan.

In accordance with this invention a furnace wall surrounds a pan in which zinc, tin, lead or other coating metal is melted. The Wallis spaced from the pan to form a combustion chamber around the pan; There is a roof for this chamber, and its outer wall has burner openings extending through it so that combustion can take place in the chamber in order to melt the metal in the pan. Surrounding the pan and in engagement with its side walls is a heat battle in the form of a wall the sides of which are formed from a plurality of blocks disposed side by side and resting on the floor of the chamber. Each block extends up the side of the pan far enough to make it unnecessary to lay any other blocks or bricks on top of thetall block. Also, each block has a base whichismaterially thicker than its top in order to hold the block upright. Preferably, each block is L-shape with its lower portion extending away from the pan. To help hold the blocks against the pan, the floor of the combustion chamber is provided with areas that are inclined downwardly toward-the pan so thatthe blocks resting thereon will tend to slide toward the pan. The-sides of the blocks are provided with interlocking vertical tongues and BClahns. (01. 266-33) grooves between which there are spaces for receiving cement to hold the blocks together. Although the comers of the baflie may be formed from the same kind of blocks as the sides, it is preferred to form them from horizontally curved blocks of uniform thickness having tongue and groove connections with the adjacent blocks that form the sides of the baflie. These curved blocks may be laid on top of one another for nearly the full height of the pan.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through melting apparatus made in accordance with the preceding paragraph; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on theline 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the blocks from which the sides of thebaflie are formed; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the tongue and groove connection between two adjoining blocks.

Referring to the drawing, a pan I, which will be described as but not limited to a galvanizing pan, is made of metal for holding the molten zinc by which wire, sheets, pipe and the like are galtiles or blocks each of which extends the full vanized. The pan is surrounded-by .a refractory wall 2 forming the outer wall of a furnace. This wall is spaced from the galvanizing pan to provide a combustion chamber between them that is covered by a roof which curves upwardly from the top of the wall to the top of the pan. As shown in Fig. 2, this roof may be formed from a plurality of curved blocks or tiles 3 resting on the refractory wall and supporting a body of insulating material 4 extending around the furnace. The outer wall 2 of the furnace is provided at laterally spaced points with openings in which burner blocks 5 are mounted. Suitable gas or oil burners (not shown) are directed into these openings for heatingthe atmosphere in the com-- tical section with their lower portions resting on tlie combustion chamber floor and extending outwardly a considerable distance, in order to keep the blocks from tipping away from the galvanizing pan which they engage. The vertical portion of each block may be tapered upwardly with its pan side disposed in a vertical plane so that it will lay flat against the side of the pan.

. the combustion chamber and then layingon the steps bric 8 that have inclined upper surfaces. This arra gement prevents the blocks from working away from, the pan.

The'blocks are locked together by means of vertical tongues 9 and grooves ill with which the opposite sides of their upright portions are provided. In order that the feet of the blocks may lie flat against one another and yet permit the use of cement between the upright portions of the blocks, the tongues are made somewhat smaller than the grooves so that a horizontally curved space i2 is left between each tongue and the wall of the groove into which it projects even when adjoining blocks engage each other on both sides of the tongue, as shown in Fig. 4. Space l2 receives the'cement by which the blocks are fastened together.

At the corners of the pan it is preferred to form the baflie from a plurality of horizontally curved blocks l3.which are not as tall as the side blocks I and which therefore are mounted on top of one another, preferably for substantially the full height of the pan. These blocks are fastened to the side blocks by providing their opposite sides with tongues and grooves that interlock with the tongues and grooves in the adjacent blocks 1 forming the sides of the baflie.

In galvanizing apparatus or the like constructed in accordance with this invention the baffle wall can be quickly made because, except at the corners, the bailie is only one block high and the blocks fit snugly together. The feet on the blocks I keep them upright, while the inclined floor prevents the blocks from separating from the galvanizing pan. This baffle is strong and durable with a much longer life than those known heretofore. Consequently, the galvanizing apparatus can be kept in continuous operation for longer periods, thereby reducing the cost of operation.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and construction of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. Metal coating apparatus comprising a melting pan, a furnace wall surrounding said pan and spaced therefrom to form a combustion chamber around the pen, a roof for said chamber, said wall being provided with burner openings extending therethrough, the floor of..said chamber having areas inclined downwardly toward said pan, and a heat baflie surrounding the pan in engagement therewith, said baflle including blocks resting on said inclined areas and disposed side by side with each block extending the full height of the sides of the baflle, the bases of the blocks being materially thicker than their tops to hold the blocks upright, and each block having a vertical surface engaging the pan and a floor-engaging surface inclined downwardly toward the lower end of said vertical surface.

2. Metal coating apparatus comprising a melting pan, a furnace wall surrounding said pan and spaced therefrom to form a combustion chamber aroundthe pan, a roof for said chamber, said wall being provided with burner openings extending therethrough, the floor of said chamber having areas inclined downwardly toward said pan, and a heat baifle surrounding the pan in engagement therewith, said baiiie including L-shape blocks disposed side by side and resting on said inclined areas with their lower portions extending away from the pan, each block extending the full height of the sides of the battle with the upright portions of the blocks provided at their sides with interengaging vertical tongues and grooves, said upright portions being tapered upwardly in cross section, and said lower portions being tapered outwardly in cross section.

3. A refractory baflle wall for surrounding and protecting the outside of a metal melting pan from impinging flames, the sides of said bailie being formed from a plurality of blocks disposed side by side and. each extending the full height of said sides, and the bases of the blocks being materially thicker than their tops to hold the blocks upright.

4. A refractorybaiile wall for surrounding and protecting the outside of a metal melting pan from impinging flames, the sides of said baflle being formed from a plurality of L-shape blocks disposed side by side with their base portions extending outwardly, and each block extending the full height of said baiiie sides.

5. A refractory baflle wall for surrounding and protecting the outside of a metal melting pan from impinging flames, the sides of said baifle being formed from a plurality of blocks disposed side by side and each extending the full height of said sides, the bases of the blocks being materially thicker than their tops to hold the blocks upright, and the comers of the baflle wall being formed from a plurality of superimposed horizontally curved blocks having tongue and groove connections with the adjoining blocks of said baffle sides.

6. A refractory baffle wall for surrounding and protecting the outside of a metal melting pan from impinging flames, the sides of said bai'fie being formed from a plurality of blocks disposed side by side and each extending the ful1 height of said sides, the bases of the blocks being materially thicker than their tops to hold the blocks upright, and each block having a vertical surface forming the inside of the wall and a bottom surface inclined downwardly toward the lower end of said verticalsurface.

HARRY DOBRIN. 

